This Creamy Vegan Squash Pasta with Blistered Tomatoes and Bitter Greens Is Sweater Weather in a Bowl
Cozy up with a comforting bowl
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It may not entirely feel like it where you are, but the cozy season is officially here. We’re unpacking sweaters, scarves, and blankets, and ordering our coffee with pumpkin spice. And, when we’re really ready to get into the seasonal spirit, making this creamy vegan butternut squash pasta for dinner.
We particularly like this recipe because it has that cheesy, creamy sauce and roasted squash that feel so cold-weather appropriate – but it pulls back from being heavy and palate-coating thanks to the acidic pop of blistered cherry tomatoes and a bit of bitterness and green-veggie-ness courtesy of the Swiss chard.
This is vegan butternut squash pasta is the kind of thing we want to sink into a bowl of after a long day and imagine we’re in a charming cabin, looking out over the colorful fall leaves. If you have extra chard left over, consider tossing together a simple salad to serve along with the pasta. Roll up the chard leaves and chop into ribbons, and toss with a bit of oil, lemon juice, and salt.
More Related Recipes to Try Next:
Butternut Noodles Cacio e Pepe
Bok Choy, Butternut Squash, and Spicy Tofu Triangles
Avgolemono Linguine with Chard Ribbons
Creamy Vegan Squash Pasta with Blistered Tomatoes and Bitter Greens
Ingredients
For the pasta
- 1 Tbsp. vegan butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 16 ounces fusilli or penne pasta
- 5-6 cups vegetable stock
- 8 ounces vegan cream cheese
- 1/4 tsp. black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. onion powder
- Salt to taste
- Crushed red pepper for topping
For the butternut squash
- 2 cups peeled and diced butternut squash
- 1–2 Tbsp. Oil
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper
For the cherry tomatoes
- 2 (10 oz) containers cherry tomatoes, halved
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- Non-Stick Oil Spray
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- 2 tsp. fresh cracked black pepper
For the greens
- 1 bunch of Swiss chard, (about 8 stems)
- 1 tbsp. Oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- Kosher salt to taste
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
Preparation
- Make the pasta: In a large pan on medium heat, melt the ghee, then sauté the garlic for about a minute. Garlic burns super easily, so keep an eye on it. Stir in the pasta and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover the pan and let simmer for 10-12 minutes or until the pasta is al dente. If the pasta has soaked up all the liquid but isn’t tender, add a little more veggie stock as needed and simmer until cooked through. Stir in the cream cheese, onion powder, pepper and salt. Reduce the heat to low.
- Make the butternut squash: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay butternut squash cubes onto the parchment paper-lined tray in an even layer so that they are not overlapping. Drizzle the squash with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Bake at 425 degrees F for 25 minutes. Remove and let cool for a few minutes.
- Make the cherry tomatoes: Preheat oven to 375°F. In a medium bowl, toss together tomatoes, garlic, salt and pepper. Transfer to a baking sheet and spread into an even layer. Spray with ghee oil to coat evenly. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until tomatoes are soft and fragrant.
- Make the greens: Wash and clean the chard leaves. Depending on your preference, you can remove the stems at the bottom of the leaves or keep them and slice them up. Roll the leaves into a cigar-like shape and slice across horizontally into one-inch wide strips. Heat the ghee oil in a sauté pan on medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté for one minute. Add the chard leaves and cook for 4-5 minutes or until the chard leaves wilt down. Sprinkle with sunflower seeds.
- Assemble the bowl: Place equal amounts of pasta in each bowl. Top with butternut squash and a side of sautéed greens and cherry tomatoes.